Both houses of the Legislature continued to convene several of their respective policy committees this week for their one house of origin hearing for the year. As we have noted, committees have significantly pared down the number of bills they will consider, and remote public participation is strongly encouraged. Next week will be the final…
Read More »This week, the California State Senate returned to Sacramento following its unprecedented joint recess amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Recall, last week, the Assembly returned to Sacramento to resume its in-person legislative activities, albeit in a significantly modified way to support physical distancing. With both chambers now back in Sacramento, the Senate and Assembly face compressed…
Read More »On Monday, the Assembly Committee on Accountability and Administrative Review convened an oversight hearing on state contracting in an emergency, particularly amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The hearing, held in the Assembly Chambers to accommodate physical distancing, was opened by Accountability and Administrative Review Chair Cottie Petrie-Norris discussing the state’s rapid response to the pandemic, including…
Read More »On Monday, the California State Assembly returned to Sacramento following its unprecedented emergency recess in March in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. As we highlighted last week, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon ordered a series of modifications at the Capitol to ensure public health and safety, including health screening and controlled movement within the Capitol building,…
Read More »This week, the Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Health and Human Services and the Senate Special Committee on Pandemic Emergency Response each held informational hearings on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Below, we detail these hearings: Assembly Sub. 1 Examines Health Care Workforce, Safety Net Programs On Monday, the Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1 convened…
Read More »The California State Assembly will return to Sacramento on Monday, May 4 following an unprecedented joint recess due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Senate was also scheduled to return on Monday, but Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins indicated the Senate will instead return to Sacramento on Monday, May 11. Recall, legislative leaders once already…
Read More »On Wednesday, Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins announced the creation of the Senate Special Committee on Pandemic Emergency Response, a bipartisan committee of eleven senators to review the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The committee will explore what has gone well and what could be improved regarding the state’s planning and response activities,…
Read More »Late last Friday, Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon announced the Legislature has extended its joint recess to May 4, 2020, amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Recall, the Legislature recessed last month in an unprecedented move to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis; the Legislature was previously scheduled to…
Read More »In a move that has not occurred in almost 160 years, the California Legislature voted Monday night to recess their respective bodies until Monday, April 13, 2020, due to COVID-19. Acknowledging the seriousness of the crisis, President pro Tempore Toni Atkins said “…even though we may not physically be in the Capitol, we will continue…
Read More »On Monday, the Senate confirmed the appointment of Marko Mijic as Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services. Mr. Mijic was appointed in May of 2019 and served in an acting capacity since 2018. Last month, the Senate Rules Committee voted to unanimously move his confirmation to the Senate floor for consideration. The senate voted…
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